How To Adopt

Secondhand Hounds can only adopt out to residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Step 1
Application

Potential adopter in Minnesota or one of the surrounding states searches our Dogs for Adoption or Cats for Adoption and fills out an application for animal(s) they are interested in! Your application shows that you are truly interested in meeting an animal; it is not a binding contract. If you want to meet an animal or get more information, start by filling out the application!

Step 2
Meet & Greet

The foster reviews applications and if a good fit, schedules a “meet and greet.” This meeting could take place at an adoption event, our office, or at a home. Keep in mind, the foster may be meeting with multiple applicants depending on interest.

Step 3
Home Visit & Rental/Veterinary Checks

If the foster and adopter both agree it’s a good fit, then an adoption home visit request will be sent to our team of volunteers. The home visit may also be conducted by the foster. At the same time, all veterinary, rental, and city pet limit checks will be completed by our adoption team (if applicable). To help expedite the process, please contact your vet and give consent to release records for your resident animals.

Step 4
Contracts & Payment

Once the home visit is approved, the adopter sends payment and the adoption contract is electronically signed by the Executive Director (for dogs) or Cat Program Coordinator (for cats), foster and adopter (in that order).

Our adoption fees include the cost of spay/neuter surgery, microchip implant, de-worming, flea/tick preventative, heartworm test (for dogs and puppies over nine months), feLeuk/FIV test for cats and kittens, and age-appropriate rabies/distemper vaccinations. The adoption fee for each animal can be found on their individual website listing. *Adoption fees are non-negotiable. Learn more and pay an Adoption Fee here!

Puppies and kittens must be at least eight weeks old and weigh at least two pounds to be spayed/neutered before adoption.

Step 5
Pick Up

Once payment is made, the adoption contract is completed, and the adoption confirmation email is sent, the new owners will coordinate with the foster to pick up their new pet! For tips on the first 30 days after adopting your dog, please check out this article from Petfinder.com.